It’s no secret that student life is pretty heavily associated with things like partying and drinking all night, sleeping all day, and making awkward romantic advances at members of the opposite sex.
And, of course, there is some truth to all of this. Many students do treat their time at University as an excuse for non-stop partying, with minimal consequences. Some of the biggest party animals manage to balance the nights out with studious work in things like MBA organizational management, and leave with decent degrees and a pretty focused vision of what they want to do next. Some of the others leave University with very little to show for the experience.
While there’s nothing wrong with a bit of partying, anyone with plans for future entrepreneurial success could do a lot worse than staying in some nights, missing the next morning’s hangover, and working to get a headstart on their future career aspirations.
Without further ado, here are some things you can do during your time as a student, to help you get a headstart on business success down the line.
Begin to get your habits in line
As various old proverbs and wise insights from around the world point out, we are generally defined in life by the habits that we form, either good or bad. It is the things that we do on a daily basis, over and over, that becomes our destiny — and not just in an abstract sense, either.
The more we reinforce certain patterns of thought and behavior from day to day, the more we strengthen the neuronal connections in our brains associated with these habits, and the more naturally we fall into the same repetitive patterns of action in future.
The implications of this are immense, for every aspect of our lives.
Consider, for example, that we’re prone to procrastination and constantly find ourselves switching from our work to a YouTube browser tab whenever we’re not being watched by someone else.
What kind of “destiny” are we forming for ourselves by continually giving in to this habit? Well, not the kind that contributes to success as an entrepreneur, that’s for sure, as the ability to be self-driven and self-disciplined is absolutely critical to being your own boss and doing well at it.
For this reason, one of the best things you can do for your future success, when still a student, is to begin systematically adopting good, productive habits, and dissolving poor, harmful ones.
Start experimenting with solopreneur ventures
While you may not be in a position to embark on a truly ambitious startup project while still studying as a full-time student, you certainly can, and should, begin investigating some of the more low-risk, low-investment forms of solopreneurship out there.
There are many benefits to doing so, but one of the chief benefit is that you will begin to learn new skills, test yourself, and get a sense of what works and what doesn’t. You will, in short, begin developing your business senses, if nothing else.
A great place to begin, while still studying, is by experimenting with setting up affiliate marketing e-shops, or starting up and maintaining a blog, with an aim to monetizing and driving traffic to it.
Begin networking with people in a professional context
It’s often said that business isn’t about what you know, but who you know. While that’s perhaps a bit cynical, there is nonetheless a lot of truth to the idea that your connections really do matter in business.
Begin by connecting with ambitious, business-minded people, lecturers, and industry contacts (who you meet at trade fairs and society events), on a platform like LinkedIn.
Not only is it good practice for your life in business, in general, but you never know when you and your contacts may be able to mutually help each other get a leg up.
Read books by, and about, successful business icons
One entrepreneurial success tip which is often overlooked by proactive and energetic students, is taking the time to read the books written by, and about, some of the world’s most successful business icons.
There’s a saying that “success leaves clues”, and even though you’re somewhat unlikely to begin an apprenticeship under a formal mentor, you can nonetheless dramatically expand your understanding of the business world — and what behaviors correlate with success — by following the crumb trails left behind by those who have gone before you.
Start a business-oriented reading list, and be sure to include plenty of powerful biographies and success guides.
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